cytogenetic and developmental toxicity of cerium and lanthanum to
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Cytogenetic and developmental toxicity of cerium andlanthanum to sea urchin embryos
Rahime Oral, Paco Bustamante, Michel Warnau, Antonello D’Ambra,Giovanni Pagano
To cite this version:Rahime Oral, Paco Bustamante, Michel Warnau, Antonello D’Ambra, Giovanni Pagano. Cytogeneticand developmental toxicity of cerium and lanthanum to sea urchin embryos. Chemosphere, Elsevier,2010, 81, pp.194-198. <10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.06.057>. <hal-00666446>
Cytogenetic and developmental toxicity of cerium and lanthanum
to sea urchin embryos
Rahime Oral1 Paco Bustamante
2 Michel Warnau
2 Antonello D’Ambra
3
Giovanni Pagano4
1 Ege University, Faculty of Fisheries, TK-35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey
2 La Rochelle University, Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 6250, CNRS-
Université de La Rochelle, F-17042 La Rochelle Cedex 01, France
3 2
nd Naples University, Dept. Strategy and Quantitative Methods, I-81043 Capua (CE), Italy
4 Federico II University, Dept. Biological Sciences, Section of Hygiene, I-80134 Naples, Italy
Giovanni Pagano (�)
Federico II University, Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Hygiene,
Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: 39-335-7907261
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of two rare earth elements (REE), cerium
and lanthanum on sea urchin embryos and sperm. Sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus)
embryos were reared for 72 h in Ce(IV)- or La(III)-contaminated seawater at concentrations
ranging from 10-8
to 10-5
M. Cleaving embryos (5 h post-fertilization) were submitted to
cytogenetic analysis, scoring mitotic activity and a set of mitotic aberrations. Embryological
analysis was carried out to determine percent developmental anomalies and/or embryonic
mortality. P. lividus sperm were suspended in Ce(IV) or La(III) (10-8
– 10-5
M) for 1 h, and
percent fertilized eggs were scored in cleaving embryos that were cultured up to pluteus
stage to score any developmental defects. Embryos reared in 10-5
M Ce(IV) resulted in 100%
embryonic mortality, whereas 10-5
M La(III) induced 100% developmental defects, without
causing any embryonic mortality. A significant concentration-related mitotoxic effect and
induction of mitotic aberrations were observed in Ce(IV)-exposed, but not in La(III)-exposed
embryos, at concentrations ranging from 10-7
M to 3 x 10-6
M. Following sperm exposure,
both Ce(IV) and La(III) induced a decrease in sperm fertilization success at the highest tested
concentration (10-5
M). The offspring of Ce(IV)-exposed, but not of La(III)-exposed sperm
displayed a significant concentration-related increase in developmental defects. The results
may suggest adverse impacts in REE-exposed biota and warrant further studies of a more
extended REE series.
Key words: rare earth elements; cerium; lanthanum; sea urchins; pluteus; fertilization;
developmental defects; cytogenetic anomalies
1 Introduction
A number of technological developments have led to the utilization of REE in a broad array
of industrial processes (reviewed by Dickson, 2006). Along with their utilization, REE mining,
extraction and manufacturing raise as yet scarcely investigated questions about their
possible impact on both human and environmental health. In the case of marine
environments, REE, like other anthropogenic contaminants, may be released from industrial
wastewater effluents and affect both coastal waters and sediments, hence sediment-
dwelling biota. Whereas dissolved REEs are reported to display very low concentrations in
natural open seawater, i.e. typically in the pg L-1
range (Bau et al., 1997; Wang and Yamada,
2007), they are effectively bioaccumulated by marine invertebrates such as squids or krill
(Ichihashi et al., 2001; Palmer et al., 2006). Ce and La concentrations reported for these
marine organisms range between 0.02 and 2 µg g-1
dry wt., i.e. between 4 and 7 orders of
magnitude the concentrations in surrounding waters. A recent study pointed out that REE
bioaccumulation in two Nautilus species from Pacific Ocean islands (Vuanutu and New
Caledonia), up to 1 µg g-1
Ce and La in digestive gland, were related to specific
environmental processes, such as volcanism or upwelling (Pernice et al., 2009). A much
higher degree of REE bioaccumulation was reported in the scallop Chlamys varia from the
Bay of Biscay (West France) that was suggested to be associated with release of REE-
contaminated wastewater from industrial facilities located near La Rochelle, France
(Bustamante and Miramand, 2005). That study showed that La concentrations reached up to
8 µg g-1
dry wt in the digestive gland of scallops from REE-contaminated areas, whereas La
levels remained below 0.3 µg g-1
dry wt in this tissue from scallops collected in the control
area not subjected to the industrial outputs. Therefore, releases of REE due to mining or
industrial activities could enhance bioaccumulation levels and potentially produce adverse
effects on marine organisms.
A relatively scarce database is currently available as to REE associated toxicity, especially for
marine organisms. In the case of Ce and La, a major focus has been devoted to their
implications in terms of counteracting or triggering oxidative stress, leading to apparently
conflicting results. Indeed, both pro-oxidant and antioxidant actions were reported to be
concentration-dependent outcomes (Wang et al., 2000; Gao et al., 2008), whereas other
studies only reported antioxidant or, vice versa, pro-oxidant effects (Chen et al., 2004; Lin et
al., 2006; Schubert et al., 2006; Kawagoe et al., 2008; Park et al., 2008; Xia et al., 2008).
A few published reports on Ce and/or La effects in marine organisms, to the best of our
knowledge only focused on REE uptake in a marine diatom (Bingler et al., 1989), and REE
bioaccumulation in some mollusks (e.g. Lobel et al., 1991; Ichihashi et al., 2001; Bustamante
and Miramand, 2005; Pernice et al., 2009) and crustaceans (Palmer et al., 2006). Data
describing the toxicity of Ce or La towards marine organisms, in particular their early life
stages, were not found in the literature. On the other hand, cytological and cytogenetic
effects of several REE (holmium, neodymium and praseodymium) were reported in Vicia
faba root tips (Singh et al., 1997; Qu et al., 2004), raising the as yet open question about
cytogenetic effects of other REE. The effects of lanthanum and of a REE mixture were
investigated on seed germination, seedling growth, root growth and antioxidant metabolism
in wheat (Triticum durum) and in duckweed (Lemna minor) and reported a concentration-
related shift from hormesis to inhibition and changes in the levels of some antioxidants as
indicators of stress (d’Aquino et al., 2009; Ippolito et al., 2009). In an attempt to shed some
light on this largely unexplored field, we evaluated Ce(IV)- and La(III)-associated effects on
developmental and/or cytogenetic toxicity of these REE on sea urchin embryos, on
fertilization success of sea urchin sperm, and on offspring quality following Ce(IV) or La(III)
sperm exposure. The sea urchin bioassay system comprehends a set of endpoints assessed
on fertilization, mitotic activity and embryogenesis, and has been successfully utilized in an
extended series of reports on individual agents (Pagano et al., 1983; Warnau et al., 1997)
and on model or complex mixtures (Pagano et al., 1986, 1996, 2001, 2002; Guillou et al.,
2000; Meriç et al., 2005; Oral et al., 2007).
This study provided straightforward evidence for Ce(IV)-associated toxicities toward all
tested endpoints, whereas La(III) exerted a concentration-related developmental toxicity,
yet lesser or no toxicity for the other endpoints within the tested concentration range
(up to 10-5
M).
2 Materials and Methods
2.1 Sea urchins
Sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus) were purchased from Le Gall aquaculture company (La
Flotte en Ré, Charente-Maritime, France). Gametes were obtained and embryos were reared
in natural filtered seawater (FSW) collected offshore (3.5% salinity, pH 8.2) as reported
previously (Pagano et al., 1986, 2001). Controls were run in FSW as triplicate blanks, and 2.5
X 10-4
M CdSO4 as a positive control. The embryos were reared in Ce(IV) or La(III) from CeO2
and La2O3 stock solutions (1 g L-1
, approx. 7 x 10-3
M) dissolved in 0.1 N HNO3. It should be
pointed out that the final HNO3 concentrations (10-3
–10-5
M) were unable to cause any pH
shift in seawater causing any effects on embryogenesis, mitotic activity or fertilization
(Pagano et al., 1985); thus no acid control was used. Embryo exposures to Ce(IV) or La(III)
were performed throughout embryogenesis, starting from zygotes (10 min post-fertilization)
up to the pluteus larval stage (72 h post-fertilization) by incubating the embryos at 18 ± 1 °C;
experiments were run for a total of 12 replicates. A series of experiments was performed on
P. lividus sperm, by suspending a 50-µL sperm pellet for 1 h in 30 mL FSW containing Ce(IV)
or La(III); thereafter, 50-µL of sperm suspension were used to inseminate 10 mL untreated
eggs (~50 eggs mL-1
).
2.2 Embryological analysis
Embryological analysis was performed on living plutei immobilized in 10-4 M chromium
sulfate 10 min prior to observation, approx. 72 hrs after fertilization (Pagano et al. 1986). In
each treatment schedule, the first 100 plutei were scored for the percentages of: 1) normal
larvae (N); 2) retarded larvae (R, size <1/2N); 3) malformed larvae (P1), mostly affected in
skeletal differentation; 4) embryos/larvae unable to attain the pluteus stage (P2), i.e.
abnormal blastulae or gastrulae, and 5) dead (D) embryos or larvae. Total developmental
defects were scored as (DD = P1 + P2).
2.3 Cytogenetic analysis
Cytogenetic analysis was carried out on 30 cleaving embryos 5 hrs post-fertilization from
four cultures in each treatment schedule and triplicate controls (each in quadruplicate
cultures) amounted to a total of 12 control cultures. The embryos were fixed in Carnoy’s
fluid 5 hr after fertilization, and stained by acetic carmine (Pagano et al., 2001). The
measured endpoints were both quantitative and morphological abnormalities. Quantitative
parameters included: a) mean number of mitoses per embryo (MPE); b) percent interphase
embryos (IE), lacking any active mitoses, and c) metaphase:anaphase ratio (M/A). The
frequencies of morphologic abnormalities were scored as: a) anaphase bridges (B); b) lagging
chromosomes (LC); c) acentric fragments (AF); d) scattered chromosomes (SC); e) multipolar
spindles (MS); f) total mitotic aberrations per embryo (TMA) and g) percent embryos having
≥1 mitotic aberrations [E(Ab+)].
2.4 Sperm bioassays
Following a 1-h sperm pretreatment, fertilization success was measured as percent fertilized
eggs or fertilization rate (FR) on live cleaving embryos 1 to 3 hrs post-fertilization.
Thereafter, the embryos were cultured up to pluteus stage and scored for developmental
defects as above described in order to evaluate the effects, if any, of sperm exposure on
offspring quality.
Each observation was carried out blind on random-tagged specimens by trained readers.
2.5 Statistical analysis
The effects of Ce(IV) and of La(III) on the various endpoints were evaluated statistically using
the Student’s t-test, after applying the average square root transformation in order to
normalize distributions. Those variables which were unsuitable for a parametric approach,
i.e. %IE, %E(Ab+), and M/A, were evaluated with non-parametric tests, i.e. chi-square test,
and Mann–Whitney U-test, respectively. The presence of several simultaneous comparisons
required the use of multiple-comparison methods to correctly evaluate the level of statistical
significance (Hocking, 1996). Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS 17 for Windows
statistical software.
3 Results
3.1 Embryo bioassays: developmental and cytogenetic toxicity
By rearing P. lividus embryos in Ce(IV) or La(IV) (10-8 to 10-5 M), a concentration-related
increase in developmental defects was observed up to micromolar levels of either Ce(IV) or
La(III), as shown in Figure 1. However, the highest tested concentration, 10-5 M, resulted in
100% early embryonic (pre-hatch) mortality in Ce(IV)-exposed embryos (EC50 = 1.9 x 10-6
M),, whereas La(III)-exposed embryos, at the same concentration, underwent 100%
developmental defects (malformations or pre-larval arrest), with EC50 = 6.0 x 10-6
M,
without causing embryonic mortality (Fig. 1).
Cytogenetic analysis of Ce(IV)-exposed embryos showed concentration-related toxicity to
mitotic activity as decreasing mitoses per embryo (MPE) in the micromolar range, as shown
in Fig. 2, whereas no decrease in mitotic activity was detected in La(III)-exposed embryos.
The same held true for the induction of mitotic aberrations, as% embryos with P1
aberrations [E(Ab+)] increased to 31.7 ± 12.3% following exposure to Ce(IV) (1–3 x 10-6
M),
but not to La(III) at the same concentration (6.7 ± 2.7%) and vs. controls (8.6 ± 7.8%) (p <
0.02), as shown in Fig. 3. When the different aberration patterns were considered, a
significant excess of multipolar spindles (MS, an otherwise rare aberration) was detected in
Ce(IV)-exposed embryos, as shown in Table 1, whereas the corresponding values in La(III)-
exposed embryos overlapped with control data. The other quantitative and morphologic
mitotic anomalies were consistent with the data reported in Figs. 2 and 3, and in Table 1
(data not shown).
3.2 Sperm Bioassays: fertilization success and offspring quality
Significant inhibition of fertilization rate (FR) was observed only when P. lividus sperm were
exposed to the highest tested concentration (10-5
M) of either Ce(IV) or La(III), as shown in
Fig. 4. Offspring larvae from sperm exposed to Ce(IV) or La(III) displayed sharply different
patterns of concentration-related developmental defects. As shown in Fig. 5, the offspring of
sperm exposed to 10-5
M Ce(IV) displayed 100% larval or embryonic abnormalities (EC50 =
2.8 x 10-6
M), whereas no increase in developmental defects was detected in the offspring of
La(III)-exposed sperm at the same 10-5
M level.
4 Discussion
Very few studies reported on REE concentrations in the tissues of marine invertebrates
(Lobel et al., 1991; Ichihashi et al., 2001; Bustamante and Miramand, 2005; Palmer et al.,
2006; Pernice et al., 2009). It is recognized that REE bioaccumulate in marine biota up to
concentrations in the ppm range (Bustamante and Miramand, 2005). However, Ce(IV)- and
La(III)-induced toxic effects have not been demonstrated so far in marine organisms and,
namely, in the early life stages of the echinoid P. lividus. The results pointed to multi-
parameter effects of Ce(IV) (10-6
–10-5
M) to P. lividus embryogenesis, including cytogenetic
aberrations, developmental arrest and embryotoxicity. In contrast, La(III)-exposed embryos
displayed 100% developmental defects when reared in 10-5
M La(III). However, neither
cytogenetic anomalies nor embryonic mortality were observed in La(III)-exposed embryos.
Analogous differences were detected in the outcomes of sperm bioassays; both Ce(IV) and
La(III) exerted a moderate loss of fertilization success on sperm exposed to the highest
tested concentration (10-5
M) of either agent. However, adverse effects in the offspring were
only detected following exposure to Ce(IV), not to La(III). Together, these differences in
toxicity patterns between Ce(IV) and La(III) may suggest further differences in the toxicities
of other REE. In view of achieving an overall evaluation of the environmental impacts of
different REE, systematic comparative investigations are warranted, in the attempt to fill the
present information gap.
The widespread and growing industrial uses of REE imply a current and increasing
pervasiveness of these elements (Dickson, 2006), hence their potential impact toward
environmental and human health. Rare earth/nitrate mixtures are used as fertilizers in China
with the main components being lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium (Tribe
et al., 1990). REE are also released by mining activities from gold and uranium mining ores
(Noller, 1991, 1994). Some data in the literature reported that REE affect cell division in
plant tissues (d’Aquino et al., 2009). Lanthanum nitrate and a mixture of REE nitrates
induced a decrease in the mitotic index of T. durum roots at millimolar concentrations.
Mitotic anomalies were found in T. durum tissues treated with lanthanum nitrate such as the
presence of dividing cells were in prophase, without other mitotic figures, with chromatin
condensation and absence of nucleoli. The authors also indicated a more severe effect of the
REE mixture compared to La(III) that could suggest a role of cerium in the process or a
synergistic inhibitory effect of La and Ce, the main components of the REE mixture utilized in
the assays (d’Aquino et al., 2009; Tommasi, personal communication).
A relatively scarce literature is available from in vitro and animal studies, and scanty reports
are available on the effects of REE exposures in humans (Knight, 1994; McDonald et al.,
1995; Hirano and Suzuki, 1996; Nakamura et al., 1997; Barry and Meehan, 2000). Studies
have reported that human lung cells exposed to Ce nanoparticles (nanoCe) undergo
apoptotic cytotoxicity and pro-oxidant effects, including increased formation of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) and decreased GSH levels (Lin et al., 2006; Park et al., 2008). However,
also cardioprotective effects were induced by nanoCe in mouse cardiomyopathy (Niu et al.,
2007).
NanoCe was tested in four aquatic biota, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Daphnia magna,
Thamnocephalus platyurus, and Danio rerio embryos. No acute toxicity was exerted by
nanoCe up to test concentrations of 200–1000 mg L-1
. Significant chronic toxicity to P.
subcapitata was observed with 10% effect concentrations (EC10) between 2.6 and 5.4 mg L-1
(van Hoecke et al., 2009). Early studies reported that some REE (Ce, La and Nd), when
administered to pregnant mice, decreased birth weight and litter size, yet without
teratogenic effects (d’Agostino et al., 1982; Abramczuk, 1985; reviewed by Hirano and
Suzuki, 1996). Recent in vivo studies reported on REE-induced adaptive responses including
metallothionein and GSH upregulation, immune function in suckling mice (Liu et al., 2002),
and decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as TNF-a, IL-1b, and IL-6 (Kawagoe et al., 2008;
Lin et al., 2006; Liu et al., 2006). Human exposures to Ce, La and Nd were reported to induce
pneumoconiosis (McDonald et al., 1995; reviewed by Hirano and Suzuki, 1996) and to affect
liver function (Zhu et al., 2005).
Altogether, one may foresee that forthcoming systematic studies will focus on a broader
array of REE in order to evaluate their comparative toxicities in a number of marine,
freshwater and terrestrial organisms, and will prompt further studies of REE toxicity in
environmental and human health effects.
5 Conclusions
Both Ce(IV) and La(III) affect sea urchin embryogenesis at concentrations in the micromolar
range. Cerium, but not lanthanum, induced cytogenetic anomalies by both decreasing
mitotic activity and by inducing specific mitotic aberrations. These results both suggest
analogous damage to early life stages of other organisms and prompt further investigations
on broader sets of REE. Only minor effects on sperm were detected in terms of lowering
fertilization success; hence, confining Ce and La toxicity evaluation to spermiotoxicity testing
might provide misleading safety assessment. The observation of offspring damage following
sperm exposure to Ce but not to La warrants further investigations in other bioassay models.
6 Acknowledgments
Thanks are due to Prof. Franca Tommasi (Bari University) for reviewing this manuscript.
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Fig. 1 Percent rates of developmental defects and mortality in P. lividus embryos/larvae
reared in Ce(IV)- or La(III)-contaminated seawater. (*) 3x10-6
M Ce(IV) exposure
resulted in highly significant embryotoxicity both vs. controls (p = 0) and vs. La(III)
exposure (p < 0.02), up to 10-5
M Ce(IV) resulting in 100% embryonic mortality.
Fig. 2 Ce(IV), not La(III) exposure of cleaving embryos resulted in a concentration-related
decrease in mitotic activity. (*) p < 0.02.
Fig. 3 Concentration-related increase in Ce(IV)-induced mitotic aberrations in P. lividus
embryos (*) [p < 0.01 at 3x10-6
M Ce(IV)]. No effects were detected in La(III)-
exposed embryos.
Fig. 4 Fertilization rate following sperm exposure Ce(IV) or La(III) was significantly
inhibited by 10-5
M Ce(IV) (* p < 0.02) and by 10-5
M La(III) (§ p < 0.05).
Fig. 5 Percent developmental defects in the offspring of Ce(IV)-exposed sperm (* p <
0.02). No effects were detected following sperm exposure to La(III).
Table 1. Mean numbers pf mitotic aberrations per embryo in Ce(IV)- vs. La(III)-exposed cleaving P. lividus embryos. Quadruplicate experiment;
blank controls were run in 12 replicates; positive controls [Cd(II)-exposed] gave 100% mitotic arrest. Abbreviations: B = anaphase
bridges; LC = lagging chromosomes; SC = scattered chromosomes; MS = multipolar spindles; TMA = total mitotic aberrations per
embryo. Data of other aberrations (acentric fragments, multiple fragmentation) were scanty and not reported.
Treatment Schedule No. replicates B LC SC MS TMA
Blank 12 0.07 ± 0.03 0.01 ± 0.01 0.03 ± 0.03 0.00 ± 0.00 0.18 ± 0.05
Ce(IV) (M) 1 X 10-7
4 0.05 ± 0.03 0.02 ± 0.02 0.06 ± 0.02 0.00 ± 0.00 0.15 ± 0.10
3 x 10-7
4 0.08 ± 0.07 0.03 ± 0.03 0.35 ± 0.28 0.09 ± 0.07 0.55 ± 0.29
1 x 10-6
4 0.06 ± 0.03 0.01 ± 0.04 0.21 ± 0.07 0.10 ± 0.06 0.37 ± 0.15
3 x 10-6
4 0.16 ± 0.14 0.14 ± 0.10 0.24 ± 0.11 0.25 ± 0.09 0.80 ± 0.11
Total 16 0.09 ± 0.02 0.05 ± 0.03 0.21 ± 0.06* 0.11 ± 0.05§ 0.47 ± 0.14*
La(III) (M) 1 x 10-7
4 0.06 ± 0.03 0.06 ± 0.04 0.05 ± 0.02 0.00 ± 0.00 0.15 ± 0.06
3 x 10-7
4 0.02 ± 0.00 0.00 ± 0.00 0.22 ± 0.12 0.01 ± 0.01 0.25 ± 0.19
1 x 10-6
4 0.05 ± 0.03 0.06 ± 0.04 0.13 ± 0.07 0.03 ± 0.03 0.20 ± 0.19
3 x 10-6
4 0.11 ± 0.06 0.02 ± 0.02 0.05 ± 0.04 0.00 ± 0.00 0.12 ± 0.07
Total 16 0.06 ± 0.02 0.03 ± 0.01 0.11 ± 0.04 0.01 ± 0.01 0.18 ± 0.03